CLAUSES

The sad truth =(

• There is an important skill many Juniors are lacking, and they need this skill to– Be successful in Language Arts– Be successful in the all other classes– Write a business letter (or any letter) as an adult and be

taken seriously.• That skill is….

To write a complete sentence!Oh no, I am not joking.

Sentences?

When I go to the store.

Even though Jim does not believe in fighting.

I buy milk.

He really enjoys watching WWE.

Are the first sentences okay now that we added the second sentence to them?

We can see that these sentences are incomplete. Lets add to them.

Absolutely NOT

Think of a period as a wall. It completely separates two ideas.

Sentences?

When I go to the store

Even though Jim does not believe in fighting

I buy milk.

He really enjoys watching WWE.

Think of a period as a wall. It completely separates two ideas.

Sentences?

When I go to the store

Even though Jim does not believe in fighting

I buy milk.

He really enjoys watching WWE.

If the idea cannot stand alone, it cannot be separated by a period.

Question of the day!(Just the first of many)

When your parents do their taxes, they get money back for spending so much money on you all year. To do this, they have to claim you as a _____________. Need a hint?Dependent

Why does this word make sense?

Imagine a baby…

It’s only one day old. It’s parents set it on a table, wave goodbye, and expect the baby to take care of itself forever. Is it going to become a healthy, thriving adult?

It may be healthy, only if someone else comes along to care for it. It is totally dependent on others to be kept warm and fed. It even depends on someone for help burping. It is totally DEPENDENT.

In that case…

What do you call people who live on their own and take care of themselves?

You guessed it!

Independent!

CLAUSES

• In the same way, parts of a sentence can be Dependent or Independent. These parts are called clauses.

A clause will contain a subject and a predicate.

When I go to the store I buy milk

Can you see that this sentence has two clauses?

(Person or thing doing an action)

(The action being done by the subject)

CLAUSES

• In the same way, parts of a sentence can be Dependent or Independent. These parts are called clauses.

When I go to the store I buy milk

Which part do you think is Dependent and which part is Independent?

-------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- Dependent Independent

What if we change the order?

CLAUSES

• In the same way, parts of a sentences can be Dependent or Independent. These parts are called clauses. I buy milk when I go to the store

What if we change the order?

--------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Independent Dependent

It does not matter which clause comes first, a dependent clause will always be dependent.

Just as you would never leave a baby home alone without an adult, you may never leave a dependent clause alone without an independent clause.

DIPicture that a D will fall over without an I to lean on.

Mnemonic Device:

How can I know if a clause is dependent?

Test 1 (an okay method): You can usually hear it. Say it aloud and see if it sounds like it can stand alone.

Test 2 (the surefire method): It will start with a subordinating conjunction. These are words like…

If

WhileBefore

Even thoughuntilWhenever

Because

Practice finding the dependent and independent clauses!

We will underline the dependent clauses in green to remind us that we need to keep going.

We will underline the independent clauses in red as a signal that we could stop there and be okay.

Practice finding the dependent and independent clauses!

Until Sam knows he passed, he will have a hard time sleeping.

Candice usually trips when she wears her boots.

Provided that you fill out your study guide, you should get an “A”.

I will clean my room before going to the movie.

After School, Jose is going to wash his car.

------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- Dependent Independent

--------------------------- ------------------------------------ Independent Dependent

-------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- Dependent Independent

-------------------------- ------------------------------------ Independent Dependent

--------------------------------------- Independent

Trick Question! “After school” is not a clause. It is missing a subject and a predicate.

Practice finding the dependent and independent clauses!

Until Sam knows he passed, he will have a hard time sleeping.

Candice usually trips when she wears her boots.

Provided that you fill out your study guide, you should get an “A”.

I will clean my room before going to the movie.

After School, Jose is going to wash his car.

------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- Dependent Independent

--------------------------- ------------------------------------ Independent Dependent

-------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- Dependent Independent

-------------------------- ------------------------------------ Independent Dependent

--------------------------------------- Independent

By the way, what do you notice about the comas?

When do you use a comma?

You need to use a comma when the dependent clause comes first. You do not need a comma when the independent clause comes first.

Mnemonic device: I D = I Don’t need a comma. D I = Do I need a comma? YES!

Another Mnemonic Device• Think of a traffic light!• Remember that we underline the

dependent clauses in green, and independent clauses in red.

• What light comes after green?

Another Mnemonic Device• Think of a traffic light!• Remember that we underline the

dependent clauses in green, and independent clauses in red.

• What light comes after green?• Think of the comma as your

light. Then, of course, it goes to red.

Another Mnemonic Device• Think of a traffic light!• Remember that we underline the

dependent clauses in green, and independent clauses in red.

• What light comes after green?• Think of the comma as your

light. Then, of course, it goes to red. • What light comes after red?

Another Mnemonic Device• Think of a traffic light!• Remember that we underline the

dependent clauses in green, and independent clauses in red.

• What light comes after green?• Think of the comma as your

light. Then, of course, it goes to red. • What light comes after red?• Straight to green! No comma needed.

Okay, time for a brain break!

Practice

Those sentences with dependent and independent clauses together are called complex sentences. On your own paper, create 2 complex sentences. Circle your subjects and underline your predicates. Use correct punctuation. Highlight the dependent clauses green and the independent clauses red.

Compound Sentences

• I like ice cream it always makes me feel better.

• Identify the clauses as either dependent or independent.

• Yup, they are both independent!• They could actually be two sentences.

--------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------

Compound Clauses

• I like ice cream. It always makes me feel better.• Identify the clauses as either dependent or

independent. • Yup, they are both independent!• They could actually be two sentences. • But, if the ideas are so closely related that it

makes you sad to separate them, use a semicolon.

--------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------

Compound Clauses

• I like ice cream; it always makes me feel better.• Identify the clauses as either dependent or

independent. • Yup, they are both independent!• They could actually be two sentences. • But, if the ideas are so closely related that it

makes you sad to separate them, use a semicolon.

--------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------

Practice

Now, create two compound sentences. Circle your subjects and underline your predicates. Use correct punctuation. Highlight the clauses red or green.